Chapter
Spain golden visa: ended in April 2025
Quick answer
The routes to Spanish residence by investing in property above 500,000 euro were repealed by Organic Law 1/2025, with effect from 3 April 2025. Buying a home no longer leads to a residence permit by itself. Existing holders and applicants should check their own position with the authorities.
Applies toNon-EU buyers who read older advice about residence by investment, and owners of golden visas.
On this page: 12 sections
§ 1What changed
For years, Spain offered residence to non-EU investors who bought property worth more than 500,000 euro. That route is gone. The government’s press release of 2 April 2025 said that Organic Law 1/2025 repealed investor residence visas, including those based on real estate investment, from 3 April 2025. The government gave the right to housing as its reason, and noted that the European Commission had called in 2022 for an end to investor citizenship schemes. The detail of the abolition is in the abolition.
§ 2What it means for buyers
A purchase of any size no longer leads to a residence permit by itself. A non-EU buyer who wants to live in Spain needs a route that is open on its own terms, such as a visa for people who do not work, a work or study route, or a family route. Buying a home remains legal and possible for non-EU nationals, and it does not need a visa, but the stay in the country is limited by the short-stay rule unless a permit is held. The old route is explained in the old property route.
§ 3Existing holders
People who hold a golden visa, or who applied before the repeal, want to know what happens next. The press release we read does not set out the treatment of permits already granted or of pending applications, and we could not read an official text that does. We have not guessed. The practical advice is in existing holders.
§ 4Alternatives
Several other routes remain, with different conditions. One that fits retired people and others with independent means is the non-lucrative visa, which we explain in this section. Others depend on work, study, family ties or EU citizenship of a relative. The alternatives compares the main ones in outline.
§ 5What the abolition does not change
It does not change who can buy. Foreigners can still buy property in Spain, as the buying-process section explains. It does not change the tax rules for owners, which depend on tax residence rather than on immigration status. And it does not change the short-stay limits for non-EU visitors, which are covered in the chapter on Schengen stays.
§ 6Old advice online
Many websites still describe the golden visa as available. Check the date on anything you read. A source that promises residence for a purchase is out of date or is selling something. The government’s release is the reference we use here.
§ 7Why the history still matters
The repeal left a trail. Thousands of people hold permits granted under the old route, agents still market the product, and buyers read advice written before the change. For a buyer today the lesson is to ask for the legal basis of any promise about residence and its date. A rule that cannot be traced to a current text is not a rule you can rely on.
§ 8Questions to ask a lawyer
Ask which route fits your plans, what evidence it needs, how long the process takes, whether the home helps or hinders and what happens to your tax position. Ask for written answers that cite the rule. A lawyer who is vague about the repeal has not followed the change.
§ 9Reading official sources
When you check a claim about residence, look for the issuing body: a ministry, a consulate, the state gazette. Press releases announce, laws decide. Where a page says “as of” a date, note it. Our pages show the date we checked each source, and we mark what we could not read.
§ 10What to do now
If you planned a purchase around the old route, stop and reconsider. Decide whether the home still makes sense without a permit, and plan your stays accordingly. Speak to a lawyer who handles immigration, and keep your questions specific to your nationality and situation.
§ 11Back to the section
Residency explains residence, stays and tax status for owners.
§ 12Other chapters in this section
The chapter on residency and property explains that owning a home does not give residence and the chapter on Schengen stay limits explains the 90/180 rule for owners.
The chapter on Spanish tax residence explains how tax residence is decided and the chapter on registering in Spain explains the padrón and registrations after arriving.
FAQRelated questions
Can I still get residence by buying a home?
No. The investor route tied to property was repealed in April 2025, according to the government’s own release. A purchase does not by itself give a right to live in Spain. Other routes exist, depending on your situation.
I already have a golden visa. What now?
The release we read does not explain the treatment of existing permits. Keep your documents, follow the rules shown in your permit, and ask the foreigners’ office or a lawyer before any renewal date.
Does a purchase still help my application?
Property ownership may count as a tie or as evidence of resources in some applications, but it does not create a right. Treat it as supporting information, and ask what the visa you want actually requires.
Sources
- Gobierno de España: El 3 de abril entra en vigor el fin de las Golden Visa (official source, opens in a new window), Government press release, 2 April 2025Last checked 17 October 2026
- Ministerio del Interior: Documentation of foreign nationals (NIE and TIE) (official source, opens in a new window), The NIE as a personal number; the TIE card; automatic NIE with visasLast checked 17 October 2026
Legal note. How the process works in general. It is not legal advice, and it never replaces an independent Spanish lawyer acting for you.